The New Orleans Saints might be in the hunt for more help at cornerback in this year’s NFL Draft. According to a report from Justin Melo over at Draft Wire, the Saints are one of eleven different NFL teams to have interviewed TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney, who also went through a private workout with the Arizona Cardinals prior to travel restrictions from the novel coronavirus.
While he isn’t widely perceived as a surefire top-20 prospect, it wouldn’t be a shock if Gladney ends being selected in the draft’s opening round. This year’s draft class is more uncertain than many that preceded it due to a lack of the usual pro days and formal facilities visits that NFL teams use to round out their scouting reports. Grades are more divisive than normal, and the Saints could very well end up being a team that does rank Gladney among that top tier, and be happy to pick him at No. 24.
So what’s drawn the Saints to him? Gladney measured in at 5-foot-10 and 191 pounds, timing the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds — clearing the established benchmarks the Saints have maintained internally. The redshirt senior is well-experienced in shadowing opposing No. 1 wideouts, playing a lot of press coverage while earning All-Big 12 recognition in three years as a starter (Honorable Mention in 2017, Second-Team in 2018, and First-Team in 2019). He finished his college career with the Horned Frogs with five interceptions and 43 total passes defensed in 50 games played. Not too shabby.
Besides slightly middling height and wingspan (Gladney’s arms measured in at a hair under 32 inches in length), the big knock on Gladney might be his injury history. He missed his first year with a medical redshirt while recovering from ACL/LCL surgery, and went under the knife again earlier this offseason after playing through a meniscus issue in his senior year. It’s possible his conversation with the Saints was a simple check-in on his recovery process.
While the Saints have a stellar top-two combination at cornerback between Marshon Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins, things are far from settled behind them. A number of players figure to compete for nickel duties (including P.J. Williams, Patrick Robinson, XFL signee Deatrick Nichols, and safeties Malcolm Jenkins and C.J. Gardner-Johnson) while the Saints lack a clear first-man-up should Lattimore or Jenkins miss time.
On top of that, Jenkins’ contract is structured so that the Saints can take it year-to-year, while Lattimore’s fifth-year option only guarantees he’ll be around through 2021. Gladney would make sense as an understudy for either of them as well as a possible heir-apparent. And considering how often the Saints field multiple defensive backs, it’s possible fans could get a good look at Gladney in his rookie year — if he ends up being the pick.
